Jerry Warner represents the United States in competition that pits Japanese chef against sushi chefs from other countries

When Jerry Warner, the executive chef at Cafe Japengo in La Jolla, received a phone call informing him that he’d been chosen to represent the United States in a popular Japanese reality TV cooking show, he was surprised.

The show —“Sushi Pride” — is a wildly popular TV show that pits one Japanese sushi chef against one sushi chef from another country. Only in its second season, Warner hadn’t heard of it but was flattered by the news.

“I feel honored to represent Cafe Japengo and the United States through competing in the competition,” said Warner, who became Cafe Japengo’s executive sushi chef in 1996. “There are many qualified chefs who could have been in my shoes. It is always flattering to be chosen to share one’s passion.”

That passion led him to say “yes” to the offer of competing against Toshikatsu Aoki, the owner chef of Michelin-starred “Sushi Aoki” in Tokyo.

The competition, filmed late last month in Los Angeles, will air in Japan early next year. The lineup of judges included Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold and San Diego’s own Amy Finley, previously a Food Network and Cooking Channel star, author of “How to Eat a Small Country,” and currently senior editor of Riviera San Diego Magazine.

In the competition, each chef is tasked with making 10 nigiri, two sashimi platters and three specialty rolls.

Cafe Japengo

We asked Warner to talk about being chosen and what it was like to participate in the competition.

How did you find out?

“I received a call from Ms. Ikuko Takano, who is a marketing representative in Japan. After researching sushi chefs in the U.S., she reached out to me to see if I would be interested in representing our country in the competition.”

Did you apply to be on the show, or did you just get picked?

“I was one of two U.S. finalists in the running to be a part of the show, and Ms. Ikuko apparently felt I was best-suited for the show.”

We know you can’t talk about the competition results, but anything you can share from the experience?

“It was a very interesting experience. First, because of the cultural differences between Japanese and American television. Second, the show really turned out to be a showcase in the versatility of sushi in the United States. Here in the U.S., we have expanded the realm of traditional sushi with the infusion of local ingredients and flavors. Sushi in Japan is traditional in nature, letting the flavors of fish speak for themselves in simplistic artistry. I’m not implying myself or sushi chefs in America don’t do the same, just that the show really wanted to show me pushing the envelope, showing the Japanese audience styles of sushi they had never seen before.”

What skills do you think gives you an edge?

“My greatest skills were taught to me by my (mentor) Osama Fujita. He taught me to make sushi from my heart, to really put love into the sushi you’re making. I hope the Japanese viewers will see the attention to detail and passion that I have for the art of sushi.”